Toy



June 12, 1928. 1,673,413

C. S. MARDEN TOY Filed Ndv. 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12, 1928.

C. S. MARDEN TOY , Filed Moi/3741927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ISZVENTOR Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES A 1,673,413 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE SAMUEL MARDEN, or ALBANY, NEW YORK.

' TOY,

Application filed November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,426.

made of solid wood but which nevertheless present a pleasing attractive appearance closely simulating the appearance of actual houses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a set of houses arranged in a block, the individual houses being of different design and appearance whereby with a different arrangement of the houses the appearance of the resulting block may be widely varied.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a number of houses of'different designs embodying my. invention.

In said drawings Fig. 1 represents a group of houses arranged in a row and detachably supported on a common base; y

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the houses shown in Fig. 1 but removed from the base;

Figs. 4: and 5 are perspective views showing houses of different deslgn adapted for use with the base shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of houses of still further types designed for use as separate units.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 indicates a supporting board or base upon which the separate houses are to be assembled. substantial board and is preferably painted and varnished so as to be waterproof. The board is wider than the corresponding dimensions of the houses which are assembled thereon so as to provide a street or walk along the front of the houses, and if deslred the edge of the board may be painted with paving stones or the like.

Each of the houses, of which five different types are shown in the drawing, consists, as shown in Fig. 3, of a solid block of wood 2 of rectangular cross section with the grain running vertically of the house so that the The base consists of a side walls of the house'may be dressedto a smooth surface for painting. For example, the houses may be cut from a dressed timber,

preferably white pine or other light wood of standard dimensions, say 4 x 3". The bottom surface of the house is flat to fit on the baseboard or other support and the top of the house is preferably cut to simulate the lines of a roof, preferably an ordinary gable roof with a single ridge extending from end to end of the house, although other types of roofs may be provided, as shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 7.

The faces of the block forming the roof are covered with real roofing, preferably of 'theso-called slate granule type consisting of a sheet of heavyasphaltic fabric or paper with the outer surface coveredwith a layer of crushed slate. The sheet roofing 3 is out large enough to provide eaves, as shown at 4,

both inthe gable ends of the house as well a as at the side edges, The roofing is preferably in one sheet and creased along the middle to bend over the ridge of the roof.

The sheet of roofing maybe fastened to the house in anydesired manner, but as the toy rather than attached with glue alone.

The side walls of the house have windows and doors painted thereon in colors contrasting with the color of the house itself, and after painting, but before the roof is applied, the houses are preferably sprayed with marine varnish to render them thoroughly waterproof to prevent warping or cracking of the wood.

To further add to the appearance of the houses they are provided with chimneys 5 or the like, which are preferably made also of solid wood and attached to the houses by nailing. The chimneys may be attached over the roofing as shown in Fig. 2, or may be nailed to the end or side faces of th house as shown in Fig. 7.

Each of the houses is designed for use with the base 1 and is provided with an undercut groove 9 in its bottom face extendmetal and of a shape to fit the groove in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Buildings otherthan dwelling houses may building which, as shown, comprises in addition to the roof 3 and chimney ashamgular piece 12 nailed to the "front "wall torepresent the awning extending over the,

show windows.

In Fig. 5 a church building is shown wherein the appearance of a chuch is secured by the provision of a steep. roof and a tower or steeple 11 formed of a stick of solid wood and nailed to the end of the block. Similarly the fire house shown in Fig. 6 is formed withthe addition of a single piece 13 representing the conventional hose tower which usually forms part of a village fire house. In a similar manner, other types of buildings, such as. school houses, railroad stations, etc., may be provided by means of a block Or strip of appropriate shape nailed to the block which forms the house proper.

By the use of real roofingfor theroof of the house the appearance of the house and its likeness to a real building is greatly enhanced, due largely to the fact that the projecting edges of the roofing provide eaves of nary frame dwelling. Furthermore, the roof material, like the solid blocks, of painted wood from whichthe houses are formed is substantiallyv unaffected by the weather, and the houses may be left out of doors indefi house consisting of a solid block of wood forming the body of the house and a sheet of commercial roofing attached thereto and forming the roof thereof, said roofing ex tending beyond the edges of the surface to which it is attached to simulate the caves of the house. i

2. Asa new article of manufacture, a toy house consisting of a solid block of wood forming the body of the house and a sheet of commercial rooting attached thereto and forming thereof thereof, and blocks simulating chimneys nailed thereto.

3. In a set of toy houses the combination of a baseboard, a plurality of houses adapted to be supported thereon, and means for detachably connecting the houses to the baseboard, grooves in the bottoms of said houses, and a rib on said baseboard having a sliding fit in said groove. v

4. As anew article of manufacture, a toy house consisting of a solid block of wood having one flat face forming the bottom surface of the house, the opposite side being shaped to simulate a gable roof, and a piece of commercial roofing bent over the ridge of thereof and attached to the faces thereof, the thickness of saidroofing having the same relation to the size of the block that the depth of the entire roof structure bears to the size of a real dwelling house.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLARENCE SAMUEL MABDEN. 

